Legislator wants higher speed limit, but Governor still stands in the way

A state D-O-T survey finds most everyone who’s driving on Iowa’s interstates is going faster than 65. About nine out of 10 motorists exceeded the speed limit during the D-O-T’s watch period in July, August and September. About two out of 10 were driving above 75. House Republican Leader Christopher Rants of Sioux City, has been trying to pass a higher speed limit bill through the Legislature. The bill has stalled the past several years as a majority of legislators — many of ’em older folks — balk at raising the speed limit. Rants says in January, he’ll offer a compromise.that’ll propose raising the speed limit on NAFTA corridors, the Interstates that run from Canada to Mexico. That would mean the speed limit would go up only on Interstates 29 and 35.Critics say insurance rates will go up for Iowans and traffic deaths will rise if the speed limit’s hiked on the Interstates.Prospects for getting lawmakers to raise the limit are dim, however, as Governor Tom Vilsack’s against it.Vilsack says he doesn’t support a higher speed limit because he believes it would lead to more traffic deaths on the Interstates.